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Jim Carroll

Music, Life and everything else

The randomiser is in fine fettle

The amount of smashing Irish albums which have been released in the first couple months of this year continues to grow. Every week, another one or two or three arrives. You’d swear we were living in some sort of golden …

Jim Carroll

jimcarroll

Mon, May 25, 2009, 09:05

The amount of smashing Irish albums which have been released in the first couple months of this year continues to grow. Every week, another one or two or three arrives. You’d swear we were living in some sort of golden age – or maybe that’s what Recession 2.0 is going to be all about. The latest homegrown albums getting loads and loads of plays round here are “How The Light Gets In”, the debut album from The Holy Roman Army (brother and sister sculpting striking post-most-things beats which saunter to and fro with considerable elan) and “The Echo Garden” the latest release from Jimmy Behan (beautifully mannered minimalism to make your dreams that bit more interesting with a flickering procession of ghostly shapes and shadows).

How many of you listened to Dr Michael Woods defending the 2002 deal which he oversaw between the state and religious orders on child abuse compensation on Saturday morning on RTE Radio One and screamed at the radio? After a week spent hearing and reading about grotesque instances of torture and slavery which occured in this country just a couple of decades ago, it was quite jaw-dropping to hear the ex-government minister display such arrogance, no, neck in defending his role in the subsequent deal. Rachel English did a cool, clear job in letting Woods, who was disdainful and condescending to her throughout, shoot himself in the foot.

This is for those of you who are about to go into a meeting this morning with the client from hell. Cheer up, you are not alone. Via our friends at Old Hat.

Scott Kirsner’s new book “Fans, Friends & Followers” looks at how visual artists, comedians, animators, documentary film makers, musicians and writers have built their audiences and made a career at a time when the marketplace is full of noise and chaos. Here’s a preview of the book.

Spike’s got game. Spike Lee’s latest flick is Kobe Doin’ Work, a doc about LA Lakers baller Kobe Bryant. Taking his cues from Zidane, Lee used 30 cameras to track Bryant and co during a game against the San Antonio Spurs in April 2008 to put together a profile of the player at work.

Slam-dunk: more from the courts. Best basketball film since Hoop Dreams? That would be Gunnin’ For That # 1 Spot, Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch’s awesome flick about eight high school basketball players competing in the Elite 24 Hoops Classic in Rucker Park in Harlem. Now out on DVD, here’s the trailer

Hold the front page! A couple of weeks ago, Paste magazine announced that the global recession was knocking at their door. Ad revenue was way down, the bills were way up and they needed a dig-out. Readers have rallied round ($166,000 is already in the pot) and the magazine looks like it will continue for now. A reminder of the importance of community support.

Hold the front page (take 2)! Plan B magazine announced last week that it was ceasing print publication after its next issue and will be an online-only entity from now on. Also going the same route after 15 years on the shelves is drum’n'bass journal The Knowledge.

Hold the front page (take 3)! Maybe the newspaper business can learn from the music biz’s SNAFUs?

Ahoy me hearties. I can just imagine Louis Walsh recreating the New Kids On The Block cruise for some of his charges in a couple of years. The ferry to Holyhead with The Carter Twins? Hey, it might sink.

From the legal department: I really can’t make head nor tail of the spat involving Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse, EMI Records and a ton of guest artists. It’s even more baffling because the album in question is streaming away here.

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